Pages

Monday 23 May 2016

Police Seal Off PDP Headquarters




A detachment of anti-riot and regular policemen, on Sunday, took over the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding yet another twist to the lingering crises besetting the former ruling party.

It was learnt that the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, ordered the takeover in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order, following the division of the party into three contending factions.


Former national secretary, Professor Olawale Oladipo, had been scheduled to address the media at about 4.00 p.m., apparently to drum home his opposition to the outcome of Saturday’s national convention in Port Harcourt, which dissolved the National Working Committee (NWC) and appointed a national caretaker committee to run its affairs for the next three months.

However, before he could come to the office, it had been taken over by the police.

The former national secretary was believed to be working with the former national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and other members of the dissolved NWC, who were resisting the dissolution. 

Nobody, including some staff of the party who attempted to gain entry, were allowed access on Sunday.

When approached, the most senior officer among the policemen, Temitope Kolawole, told the Nigerian Tribune that he was not competent to talk to the press.

“We have a chain of command. There is no one here capable of answering your questions. Go and meet the PPRO (Police Public Relations Officer),” he said.

No factions in PDP, only contending interests —Ekweremadu
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Sunday, said that there were no factions in the PDP, contrary to media reports.

Ekweremadu, in a statement endorsed by his media adviser, Uche Anichuikwu, said reports of factionalisation of the party were false, baseless and misguided.

The statement quoted Ekweremadu as saying that what existed within the PDP were contending interests, which, according to him, were normal in any political family.

“For the purpose of clarification, there are no factions within the PDP family as I speak. What we have are contending interests. Such is common in any party. Yes, there were some disagreements, but the good thing is that we have not allowed such disagreements to degenerate into a major crisis that would warrant factions.

“Instead, what happened in Port-Harcourt at the weekend further confirms PDP’s capacity to resolve issues in favour of laid down precepts and in the overall interest of our great party and nation. I am sure what happened in Port-Harcourt remains a disappointment for those who were expectant of major crisis and factions in the PDP, because we emerged from the convention more determined to change the change, to save our economy, reposition the electoral process and make life more bearable for the suffering masses of Nigeria again,” the statement read.

The senator also said there were no legal or judicial encumbrances to the convention in Port Harcourt, adding that the party did not conduct any election at the convention.

According to him, the party acted within the constitutional powers of the highest decision-making organ of the PDP to appoint an interim NWC to oversee the affairs of the party and also conduct elections into the NWC positions within 90 days.

Sheriff’s issue destabilised the party —Wike
Chairman of the 2016 PDP national convention planning committee, Mr Nyesom Wike, on Sunday, said Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was relieved of his job as PDP national chairman because he was a destabilising agent in the party.

The Rivers State governor said this as contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, on Sunday, by his media aide on electronic, Mr Simeon Nwakaudu.

While Sheriff insisted that the convention had been postponed, he was relieved of his position, even as the convention appointed a caretaker committee, headed by Senator Ahmad Makarfi, to direct the affairs of the party for the next three months.

“All along, the crisis has been about the former acting chairman whose emergence was strongly opposed. This is destabilising the party and so we had to let him go. What is important is the party and not the individual. No sacrifice is too much for anyone to make as far as PDP is concerned,” the statement read.

The governor said he had no personal interest and neither did he regret supporting Senator Sheriff, noting that he was the best option at the time he emerged.

P/Harcourt convention illegal –Sheriff
The sacked national chairman of PDP, Senator Sheriff, at a meeting of the defunct NWC at a secret location in Abuja, on Sunday, said the Port Harcourt convention of the party was illegal.

The former Borno State governor, who announced the cancellation of the Port Harcourt convention before it went ahead to hold, had maintained his opposition to the conduct of the exercise, claiming that he remained the national chairman of the party.

His special assistant, Inuwa Bwala, told reporters in Abuja on Sunday, that Sheriff was adamant that the Port Harcourt convention was a nullity, because there were several court orders against its conduct.

“By Friday evening, the chairman was served four court papers. At that point, the chairman summoned a meeting of the NWC and told them he was aware of a court process but could not act on it because he had not been served.

“All the orders were parallel. But he told the governors that if the conference goes ahead, it will spell trouble.

“The chairman insisted that they must abide by the court orders as he reasoned that all of them could not be fraudulent.

“He advised that they should shift the convention, but because of conflicting interests, there was no agreement.

“Some of the NWC members are party in the suit. Naturally, they would ask him to stop the convention. So, he addressed a press conference and announced the cancellation.

“We got to know about the national convention on television with the deputy national chairman, Uche Secondus, claiming to represent the chairman without his consent.

“As far as he (Sheriff) is concerned, what happened in Port Harcourt was a nullity. That’s why they are meeting now,” he said.

How govs pulled rug off Sheriff’s feet
It emerged on Sunday that two governors of the PDP, who had been suspicious of the role of Senator Sheriff spearheaded the bid to dissolve the NEC and appoint a caretaker committee.

Sources close to the party told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday that Ondo State governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and his Bayelsa State counterpart, Honourable Seriake Dickson, had been silently opposed to the choice of Sheriff, even before his imposition in February.

It was learnt that the governors saw the opportunity of correcting the wrong in the Port Harcout convention, following emerging cracks in the ranks of the party.

Members of the National Assembly, who had also not been comfortable with the choice of Sheriff as chairman, saw the opportunity to move in, following the series of court cases against the party.

The governors, who objected to Sheriff taking over in February, were persuaded that the man would only complete the term of the North-East and quit in May.

There was the understanding that his emergence would facilitate the defection to the PDP of some disgruntled members of other political parties.

Other governors and members of the National Assembly caucus, as well members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) relunctantly agreed to the choice of Sheriff with the understanding that he would quit in three months.

But with moves indicating that he would be retained beyond three months, sources said more governors and members of the National Assembly caucus started feeling concerned.

Sheriff was also said to have angered a lot of stakeholders who believed alienating them from the decision making process of the party.

No comments:

Post a Comment